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J. s. BARGUS. G01N GONTROLLBD APPARATUS.

No. 572,496. Patented Deo. 1, 1896.l

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J. S. BARGUS. G01N GONTROLLBD APPARATUS.

Patented Dec. 1, 1896. .I I -5.. .j

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES S. BAROUS, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

COlN-CONiTROLLED APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,496, dateanecember 1, 189e.

Application iiled October 10, 1895. Serial No. 565,257. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. BARCUS, a citizen of the United States,residin g at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin- Controlled Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the adapted to be released by coin-controlled mechanism upon the insertion of a coin, to effect the automatic release of the locking mechanism of the information-presenting device by the movement of a coin-conveying or coin-carrying device; to provide for the automatic return of the operative parts of the device to their normal positions after the completion of each operation; to provide a simple and eifective mechanism constituting a movable coin-carrier for carrying a coin from its place of insertion to its place of deposit within the apparatus; to provide in connection with the coin-carrier means for preventing the extraction of a coin once inserted or of its fraudulent reuse to release the information-presenting device and operate it an indefinite number of times without the insertion of a coin foreach operation, and, iinally, to provide means for preventing the use of any coin to unlock the mechanism but those of a predetermined size.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a coin-controlled apparatus, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying` drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, and in which like letters Aof reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, I have illustrated a preferred form of embodiment of my invention together with several different forms vtaken on the line a: of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrow l. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the coin-carrier, looking in the direction of the arrow 2, Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the carrier, looking in the direction of the arrow 3, Fig. l. Fig. G is a view similar to Fig. l, showing an arrangement of mechanism for mechanically effecting the operation of the coin-carrier and the information-presenting device. Fig. '7is a sectional detail view of the feed-roller of the information-presenting device shown in Fig. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail view of another form of mechanism for mechanically effecting the operation of the coin-carrier and the information-presenting device. Figs. 9 and l0 are detached detail views of mechanism that may be employed to operate the coin-carrier and the inform ation-presenting device in lieu of that shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 11 is a detail view of an eccentric which may be employed for imparting a reciprocatory movement to the coin-carrier. Fig. 12 is a detail sectional view of a modified form of carrier wherein the carrier has a reciprocatory and rotary motion. Figs. 13 and 14 are detached detail views of different forms of mechanisms for effecting the mechanical operation of the coin-carrier and the information-presenting device.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the casing of the apparatus, which maybe' constructed in any preferred manner andv of any suitable material; but by preference, in this instance, it is cast in two parts, one part, A2, constituting the casing proper and the other part the front A3 or the back, as may be preferred, this latter part being suitably secured to the casing in such manner as to permit of its ready removal when desired.

The top of the casing is provided with two narrow slits or openings a and a2, (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1,) of which the slita forms the coin-opening through which coins are introduced into the casin g and the slit CL2 a passage-way for a strip of paper having imprinted thereon information in the nature of maxims, proverbs, witticisms,quotations,and questions. The front A is provided with a slot or opening, (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2,) back of which is mounted a piece of glass a', which permits inspection of thecoinreceptacle B, but prevents removal of the contents thereof, and the bottom of the casing is provided with an opening a3, (indicated by dotted lines,) through which the contents of the coin-receptacle may escape when the bottom l) thereof is removed.

The coin-receptacle, which is designed to hold a predetermined or definite and fixed number of coins, has located near its top a shaft 192,0ne end of which projects out through the side of the casing and carries a knob h3, and 011 this shaft is mounted a rigid arm b4, designed to be turned down into the receptacle and by contacting with the top of a pile of coins therein force the bottomb downward clear of the walls of the receptacle, so that by sliding the bottom from under the receptacle the coins will be free to escape. The movement of the bottom is effected by means of an extension b5, Fig. 2, integral with the bottom and projecting out through a slot in the back of the casing, this extension being normally bent up to lie Hush with the back of the casing to avoid presenting an obstruction. The arm blis held normally out of the receptacle by a spring h6, secured to the arm and to a fixed portion of the receptacle, and is operated by the knob b3, as will be obvious by reference to Fig. 1.

Secured within the casing at a point beneath the slit a is a coin-carrier comprising a shell or holder C and a cylinder C2, constituting the coin-carrier proper, adapted to contain and support a coin in proper position for deposit within the coin-receptacle independently of the mechanism that actuates the carrier. The shell is provided with a longitudinally-disposed cylindrical bore or chamber c, having at any preferred point in its circumference and extending parallel with its long diameter a recess or groove c2 designed to be engaged by a feather or spline c3 on the coincarrier, the function of the recess and spline being to guide4 the carrier in a horizontal path and also to prevent its turning within the shell when being operated.

Cut transversely across the carrier from its I circumference to the spline c3 is a channel c4,

tance between the walls of the channel corresponding, approximately, to the thickness of a newly-minted coin,while the slot c6 is shorter and narrower than the slot c4 and is designed to form an escape-opening through which coins of improper size-as, for instance, a three-cent piece or a silver half-dime-will fall into the interior of the casing without effecting the movement of any of the mechanism, the difference in width between the two slots c5 and c6 forming an offset or shoulder c7, upon which a coin rests,when of proper size, previous to its discharge into the coinreceptacle, a slot o8, registering with the chute b2 of the said receptacle, constituting a discharge-opening. In addition to the transverse slots c5, c, and o8 the top of the shell is further provided with a longitudinally-disposed groove o9, extending from the slot c5 outward to the end of the coin-carrier, and in this groove works a coin-detaining device 010, adapted, on the initial movement of the carrier, to catch and hold a coin against eX- traction orto prevent its fraudulent reuse to unlock the information-presenting device and operate it an indefinite number of times. This device comprises a lever which is pivoted between lugs c11 on the shell, a spring cl2, exerting upward pressure on the outer end of the lever, and a hook or catch C13 on the inner end of the lever projecting into a longitudinal groove 014 in the upper face of the carrier, this hook constituting the means for catching and holding a coin, as will be understood by reference to Fig. 3. The carrier is further provided with a projection or pushrod 015, which extends ont through a side of the casing in position to be operated by a person using the apparatus, a spring o16 serving to keep the carrier normally in the position shown in Fig. l, with the slot cL in register with the coin-opening a of the casing.

The inform ation-presentin g device,to which reference has been made, comprises a roller D, upon which is wound a strip of paper l1aving printed on its two sides questions, maxims, proverbs, or the like 5 two feed-rollers CZ d2, between which the strip passes and thence ont through the opening a2, and a combined locking and releasing latch d3, having a toe or projection d4, adapted, normally, to engage a recess d in a cam d, carried by the roller cl2, and thereby lock this roller against rotation. The latch is provided with a slot CF, through which project headed pins or screws 'd8 for holding the latch in operative position, a spring d, secured to an arm d10 of the latch and to a projection cl7 of the shell C, serving to hold the latch normally in locked engagement with the cam (ZG. To the arm d10 is secured a rod d, constituting a push-rod, the end of which projects a sufficient distance into a centrally-disposed oriiice c18 in the coincarrier C2 to contact with a coin held in the channel c4 previous to the operation of the apparatus.

The operation of the' apparatus thus far de- TOO scribed is as follows: The parts being in the position shown in Fig. l, a coin is inserted into the slit ct and drops into the channel c4 with its lower edge resting upon the offset c7. The operator now pushes in the projection C15, moving vthe coin-carrier and with it the coin to a point where the channel c4 registers with the slot cs, the inward movement of the carrier causing the edge of the coin to trip the lever 010 and cause its hook cl3, by engagement with the coin, to prevent full backward movement of the carrier until the coin shall have been discharged through the slot c8 into the coin-receptacle B. l In the forward movement of the carrier the end of the rod du contacts with the coin, which forms an abutment and constitutes the means for imparting longitudinal movement to the latch dS to move the toe d4 ont of engagement with the recess d5 of the cam, and thereby leave the roller d2 free to turn. This roller is now turned `by means of the knob d12 and unwinds the strip of paper from the roller D and feeds it out through the slot a2 until the roller cl2 has made a complete revolution, whereupon the toe d4 will again engage with the recess d5 and lock the roller against turning until the insertion of another coin. When `the coin has been deposited within the coinreceptacle, the spring o16 draws the carrier back to its normal position,.the spring d performing the same function for the latch cl3.

The apparatus illustrated in Fig. lis to be operated by hand, but it is desirable in some instances that'the mechanism should be operated by purely mechanical means, and in order to effect such result I have devised several ways, as* shown in Figs. 6 to 14:, inclusive.

In Fig. 7 the roller cl2 is shown as loosely mounted on its shaft E, the cam CZ being rigidly secured to the roller proper, by which arrangement the' shaft will be free to turn without imparting motion to the roller. The end of the roller opposite that to which the cam is secured is cut away for, say, two-thirds of its diameter or more or less, as the requirements of the case may be, thereby leaving a shoulder or offset e, which is designed to be engaged by a pin e2 on the shaft E. The shaft is therefore free to make a partial revolution in either direction without moving the roller d2, but as soon as the pin c2 contacts with the shoulder e the roller d2 will be turned with the shaft in the same maner as though it were rigid with it. The shaft E carries an eccentric e3, connected by a rod c4 with the coin-carrier, the push-rod 015 of which is shortened so as to lie wholly within the casing, and to this rod the rod e4 is secured.

The operation of this form of apparatus is as follows: Until the insertion of a coin into the coin-carrier C2 the shaft E may be freely turned backward and forward to impart a reciprocat-ory motion to the coin-carrier through the agency of the eccentric c3 and the rod e4 Awithout effecting the release of the lockinglatch d5 or moving it in the least. As soon, however, as a coin is dropped into the carrier and the knob (112 is turned the coin by contacting with the rod d forces the latch d3 to one side and frees the toe d4 from engagement with the recess d5, thereby leaving the rollerd2 free to turn, and coincidently with the freeing of the cam from engagement with the toe of the locking-latch the pine2 contacts with the shoulder e of the roller, so that the further turning of the shaft revolves the roller and feeds the paper strip out through the top of the casing until the cam el has made one complete revolution, whereupon the toe d4 again engages the recess d5 and locks the roller against rotation until the insertion of another coin. v

It is to be understood that the movements of the coin-carrier and the shaft E are so timed that the toe d4 will be free of the cam d before the pin c2 engages the shoulder e, and that the release of the coin is effected when the eccentric passes its dead-center and starts to push the coin-carrier back to its normal position.

Instead of employing the eccentric e3 and rod e4 for imparting a reciprocatory motion to the coin-carrier the mechanism shown in Figs. 9 and l0 will in some instances be found preferable. This latter mechanism comprises a pin e6 on the roller-shaft E and a rod c7, one end of which is secured to the coin-carrier, the opposite end being provided with a hook designed to be engaged by the pin c6. This rod c7 is made rigid in order that when the pin e6 rides against the under side of the hook e8 the rod, and with it the carrier, will be moved longitudinally until the pin has reached the extremity of the hook, when it will escape, and thus allowvthe carrier to resume its normal position. It will readily be seen that the rod and pin will subserve the same function in reciprocating the coin-carrier as doesthe eccentric and rod shown in Fig. 6, and that being much simpler of construction it will in many instances be preferred to the first-described mechanism.

In Fig. S the roller d2 is shown as provided with a clutch-face F, which is adapted to engage with a similar clutch-face F2, secured on the shaft f, which shaft also carries aneccentric f2, connected by a rod f3 with the push-rod 015 of the coin-carrier. The shaft f projects without the casing and fits within the hollow shank g of a knob G, t-he shank being provided with a circular flange g2, against which bears a plate g3 for holding the knob in place and permit of its being turned in either direction. Projecting from the shaft f is a pin or stud f4, which works in a spiral slot or groove g5 in the shank g, by which means a reciprocatory motion is imparted to the shaft f when the knob is turned back and forth, thus throwing the clutch-face F2 into and out of engagement with the clutch-face F. The shaft of the roller d2 is provided with a recess in which is seated Ia spring f5, which IOO IIO

bears against the end of the shaft f and operates, automatically, to force the shaft outward when the knob G is released, and thereby separate the clutch-faces. The roller d2 carries, at the end opposite the clutch-face F, a cam (not shown) having a recess (not shown) which is engaged by the toe d4 of the locking and releasing latch, as described in connection with Fig. l.

The operation of the form of apparatus just described is as follows: A coin is dropped into the carrier and the knob G is turned, the coin, by contacting with the rod d, forcing the latch cl3 to one side and freeing the toe d4 from engagement with the recess of the cam cl, thereby leaving the roller cl2 free to turn. As the knob is turned the shaft f is forced inward toward the roller by means of the pin f4 and the slot f5 until the two clutch-faces F and F2 interlock, the further turning of the knob now causing the roller to turn, and thus feed lthe paper strip D out through the top of the casing. The cam d having made one complete revolution, the toe d4 again engages the recess cl5and locks the roller against further turning until the insertion of another coin, the spring f5 operating, automatically, to separate the clutch-faces as soon as the knob is released.

It will be seen that the movement of the coin-carrier and the shaft f must be so timed that the toe d* will be free of the recess of the cam d before the clutch-faces F and F2 interlock, and that the release of the coin is effected when the toe of the locking-latch rides up on the largest part of the cam or when the eccentric passes its dead-center and starts to push the coin-carrier back to its normal position.

In Fig. l2 is illustrated a modified form of coin-carrier, wherein, instead of having the carrier reciprocate in a horizontal line, it is constructed to have a combined reciprocatory and rotary motion, by which means the carrier, acting as a screw, forces the rod d to one side when a coin is in the carrier and thus releases the locking and releasing latch of the information -presenting device, and at the same time conveys the coin from its place of insertion to thepoint of its deposit. To accomplish these ends, the carrier II is made circular in cross-section and is provided with a spirally-disposed groove h,which is engaged by a pin h2 on the shell Il2 of the carrier. The carrier is further provided with a slot h3, into which the coin is inserted, and as the coin is moved forward by the eccentric, which is connected by interposed mechanism and operates it in the same manner as that described in connection with Fig. G, it makes one-half a turn and brings the coin into register with the discharge-opening in the bottom of the shell and in position to be dropped into the coin-receptacle, the coin acting, in the manner heretofore described, to actuate the locking and releasing latch of the informationpresenting device.

In Fig. 13 is illustrated another form of mechanism for operating the coin-carrier from the knob that actuates the feed-roller of the information-presenting device. In this form of mechanism the shanki of the knob I works in an opening in the front of the casing and has rigidly secured to its inner portion an eccentric 2, provided with a clutch-face i3, designed to interlock with a similar clutch-face 4 on the 'roller cl2, a spring interposed between the two clutch-faces serving to hold them normally separated. The knob I, being free to turn, reciprocates the coin-carrier through the eccentric and its rod in the manner already described. When a coin is inserted and the carrier has released the locking and releasing latch d3, the knob I is pushed inward, thereby bringing the two clutchfaces into engagement with each other, so that the roller cl2 may be turned with the knob to feed out the paper strip.

In Fig. 14: there is illustrated still another form of mechanism for operating the coincarrier and coincidently therewith effecting the release of the locking-latch of the information-presenting device. In this form of mechanism the shaft ,7' is in two parts, one part being rigid with the roller cl2 and. the other part rigid with the knob J, the opposing ends of the shaft being provided with clutch-faces jg, held normally out of engagement with each other by means of a springjs, the shaft being further provided with a circumferential groove ji. The rod k of the ec- IOO centric K, which latter is carried bythe shaft j, connects with a bar L, secured to the coincarrier, so that upon turning the knob .I a reciprocatory motion is imparted to the carrier. Arranged in alinement with the bar L is a latch M, a spring m serving normally to hold thelatcll out of engagement with the groove je* and the shaft j, the end of the latch next to the shaft being wedge-shaped, so that by being forced into the groove jl, which normally lies to one side of the point of the latch, lateral motion will be imparted to the shaft j and thereby cause it to engage with the other section of the roller through the clutchfaces ft2, whereupon, by further turning the knob, the paper strip will be fed out of the apparatus. In order to effect the release of the locking-latch of the information-presenting device by the movement of the eccentric K, the arm 62.10 of the locking-latch is elongated to connect Wit-h the latch M, as clearly shown in the ligure. As the bar L is reciprocated before the insertion of a coin there is no motion imparted to the locking-latch of the inform ation-presenting device, but as soon as a coin is dropped between the latch M and the bar L, as indicated by dotted lines, the release of the locking-latch is effected, and coincidently therewith the locking together of the two sections of the shaft j.

It is to be understood that the coin-carrier and the locking and releasing latch, either singly or combined, may be employed in con- IlO nection with other coin-controlled apparatus, o

- and adapted to make a partial revolution in either direction without imparting motion to the said roller, a detent normally holding the roller against rotation, and mechanism connecting the feed-roller and the coin-carrier, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a coin-carrier, afeedroller, a shaft loosely connected with the roller and adapted to be brought into locked engagement With the roller, a detent normally one of which pins is adapted to engage the shoulder on the roller, and a rod connecting with the coin-carrier and engaging the other pin, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a coin-carrier, a feedroller having one end'provided with a proj ection or shoulder, a shaft loosely connected with the roller and carrying pins extending approximately at right angles to the shaft, one ofwhich pins is adapted to engage the shoulder on the roller, and a rod connecting the feed-roller and the coin-carrier and having a hook engaging the other pin, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a coin-carrier, a feedroller, a shaft loosely connect ed with the roller and adapted to make a partial revolution in either direction Without imparting motion to the said roller, a detent normally holding the roller against rotation, mechanism connecting` the feed-roller and the coin-carrier, and a coindetaining device, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

JAMES S. BARCUS.

Witnesses:

R. G. DYRENFORTH, R. M. ELLIOTT. 

